The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-28

posted his tumbler on the bar, anc
answered, 81 should smile"
"Kin dicker with you, straight"
"First of, preacher, my names jim
Mason, Half Circle Cross outfit. :
| don't make no six-shooter plays, an6
| don't set up to beno bad man from
the Meteetsi country, but this Is mon
ey Pm going to talk to you, an If yor
ring in any funny business you'll cougl
through your ribs"
go ahead"
"Will you stop budgin' for two OF
three days, and take trip out Fort
Laramie way with me? It's S10a day
and $40 extry for the wear O. YOU
tools, Bible and SIGH"
go ahead"
"My sister an her teller wants tc
git married. You're to meet'em emp
ty ranch an'hitch en-"
Shake"
"Only you see this TELLER he has q
grudge agin' preachers. reckon ONT
OF 'em sinched him playin monte OF
somethin', an might have to hold
him down, like, while you do the mar
ryin', so he can't crawl your hump"
~ think we understand each other
Mr. Mason"
"All right. am going to sleep with
you tonight sos to know you ain,t
drinkin', an we want to start about
half-past 81 got to do little some
thin here first"
Don't you want to buy q weddin!
ring?"
Eyes, reckon do"
"Sel you the ticket for one cheap.
Uncle Jake's got it, down by the rail
road"
"Flx that in the mornin'. Come tc
bed now. amt slep' in sheets fer a
tarnation time. I'll git you stiddy
horse to ride out, preacher"
Il
When the Rev. Mr.. Noyes dismount
ed at Mountain Lion ranch next day
he was weary and bruised, but cheer.
full. "Quiet sort Of place, this" he re
marked. "You mightn't think it, Mr.
Mason, but | was once hermit. ]
set up a cell about three miles out o.
San Francisco, and people used to
drive out there with offerings. In
flush times, that was, and I've had rs
many as four boxes of cigars brought
to me in one day."
"You wouldn't drive much NV a
trade here" said Jim, grimly. "You
see this cabins on'y used when the
outfit gifts round here on the calf atk.
err, and wants the corrals to brand in
Used to keep a ranchman here to hin
der fellers from burnin the corrals fol
firm, but it's so out O. the way they
don't do it now. | got the hotel folks
to put up ten lunches in this sack-one
NV 'em is fur the gal, but you kin
tackle the balance. I'll git n fire in the
stove fur you, an then got to light
out again. You JUS eat an pound
Yer ear till / stir you up agin to-mor'
Ef anybody comes along tell em you
got smallpox an run 'em off. Reckon
you won't be bothered. Give me that
flask out o. your coat fust-'d yer
think | wasn't onto it? Well, ther
amt 'nough there to git tight on, ]
guess. So long, preacher"
At midnight Jim reached Burton's
ranch, turned his tired and hungry
pony into the pasture and picked his
way into the bunkroom through the
group of beds about the door. Hairy
Mike, who was sleeping by the stove,
rolled over and saluted him with:
"You back again? Stampede over
there.
stampede nuthn' Where's them
waddies' beds that went over with
me?"
ain the corner where them brides is
hagin';" and Mike went to sleep again,
while Jim unstrapped and rolled out
a bed.
In the morning he waited about the
corral until he saw Scranton, and then
said: "Say, Plugtooth, was it you
was wanting ter buy tibet black horse
O. French Charley one as he
broke ter leap fences?"
Eyes"
"Well, ef you're kind O. slick about
It you kin git him fer fifty. French
owes me some dust an got to git it.
He's over ter Mountain Lion with
the horse now; if you kin, come right
over an I'll git him to decker. On'y
he don't want none o. this Burton
gang to know nothin' about it till the
horse is sold. He owes the oleman
some stuff, b'lieve."
Scranton's eyes glistened-the black
horse was worth hundred; and he
hastily saddled a pony. They rode
over to Mountain Lion together, Jim's
horse beginning to need the spur to-
wards the end OF the journey. Enter.
ing the corral they dismounted, and
as Scranton was about to pull the
knot out OF his ladigo Jim Mason
tossed the loop of his RATA over the